The Asylum Chat FAQ
- What is it?
- Cool, how do I get there?
- OK, I'm in #WotA ... what is all this stuff?
- What language are these people speaking?
- What are the other channel/network rules?
- Who is _--stats--_?
- How do I...?
1. Um, what exactly is this place?
Asylum chat is our very small network of IRC servers (currently a standalone server, galt.asylumnation.com), sometimes known as irc.asylumnation.com. Chat has been around longer than the Asylum web site, forum or profiles, starting out on the DarkTree network in June of 2000. Several members of Asylum frequent the channel/room known as #WotA (familiarly "Whores of the Asylum", or, if you prefer, "We Own The Asylum"), all hours of the day. You can expect just about any topic to come up. If you haven't been in a chat room, think of it as a real-time hyper-accelerated version of the forum.
IRC.asylumnation.com is a public network, so from time to time, people other than Asylum members may wander into #WotA. Likewise, feel free to create your own channel (more on this later), or visit other channels on the network when they exist.
2. Cool, how do I get there?
That depends ... the quickest way is to visit the CGI Chat or Java Chat pages, plug in a nickname for yourself, and press the ENTER button. You'll be taken directly to chat!
If you don't have a chat client and want something more full-featured than CGI or Java, we recommend you visit Fiend's Guide to mIRC. It will guide you through the steps for downloading and installing mIRC, a very powerful and versatile IRC client for PCs. MAC users should check out ircle, ShadowIRC, or one of many others available at TUCOWS.
If you're already familiar with IRC, then use server "irc.asylumnation.com", port 6667, and channel name #WotA.
3. OK, I'm in #WotA ... what is all this stuff?
Welcome!
Well, depending on which chat client you're using, it's likely there are two main windows: one is the channel text scrolling by (with a text-input line beneath it), and the other is a list of nicknames of people currently in the channel (though not necessarily all paying attention.) To chat, simply type something on the input line and press <ENTER>.
As you look through the nickname list, you might notice some people with an "@" beside their name. These are channel operators (ops), a position of authority within #WotA. They are there to do minor policing of the channel, such as enforcing policies about flooding or spamming. Please do not ask to be "opped" in the channel; it's considered bad etiquette, and may result in a light swat from one of the operators.
4. What language are these people speaking?
Not Esperanto! Yes, an inside joke... ask someone in the channel about it. Actually, #WotA is an English-only channel ... again, a common IRC etiquette thing ... it's considered rude to hold a conversation in a language other than the one specified for that channel.
However, your question likely runs a different course than that, more like: what is this gibberish on my screen?!
Not unlike other chat rooms on the 'net, this one is inundated with all kinds of abbreviations, acronyms, and other shortcuts for saying something in the least amount of typing possible (except for Paint CHiPS who tries to conjure up as many multisyllabic words as possible). You will probably be able to figure out most of it in context, if not, check out the terms and abbreviation list below, or ask!
5. What are the other channel/network rules?
Some of these are mentioned in Fiend's Guide mentioned above... for the most part we like to encourage the freedom to say what you want. However, in IRC, where everyone is "posting" to one channel all at the same time, there are some issues not present on the forum:
- No flooding/scrolling the channel (or other users without their permission) with repeated text, lyrics, or files you are copying and pasting. It's standard in IRC, and chat rooms in general, to avoid trying to make your text stand out above anyone else's, so things like all CAPS, colors, underlining and bold are discouraged, and sometimes restricted.
- Keep the spam to a minimum ... we have other places in Asylum you can promote or post your personal pics and site.
- Do not post links to child porn or warez/cracks/serials in the channel. Also, posting of links to hostile Java pages or other sites that crash browsers or lock up systems will yield an immediate ban.
- If you want to run a bot on your own channel, ask one of the network admins. No user bots permitted in #WotA. Likewise, automated text generators (like Winamp plug-ins, away messages, pagers and other scripts) are not permitted. It's a chat channel - feel free to start your own channel if you want to use those devices.
In general, the immediacy of chat makes it a different animal than the forum, so we're a bit more restrictive. If you're unsure about a rule, check with an admin, or type /motd from any command prompt in your IRC client.
6. Who is _--stats--_?
Stats is just another IRC client, sitting in the channel logging all the conversations. It's not really a person, though occasionally you'll see it perform some housekeeping tasks like opping someone or changing the channel topic. Every few hours, it does some processing and updates the #WotA Stats page. Be aware: #WotA is a public chat channel, and anything said in the channel can be logged and posted by anyone else. It is considered very rude to post private conversations however.
BTW, all of the Asylum admins (MstrG, JoeyCat, wonderaz, Paint ChiPs, and Dingle), as well as _--stats--_, have admin (IRCop) abilities in chat. This includes the ability to remove people from the channel or server, and set bans.
7. How do I...?
(These commands may vary slightly depending on your chat client.)
- Change my nickname: type /nick *newnick*
- Send a private message to someone: type /query *nickname* *text*
- Perform channel "actions": type /me *text*
- Type in colors: in mIRC, press the <CTRL> key and "K" simultaneously, and a box will pop up from which you can select the color you want. Use this VERY sparingly.
- Create my own channel: type /join #channelname
- Leave #WotA but stay on the IRC network: type /part
- Use a quit message: type /quit *text*
- See someone's IRC profile: type /whois *nickname*
- Find out the last time someone was on IRC: type /whowas *nickname* or !seen *nickname*
- Kick someone from the channel: You can't ... this is reserved for channel operators and admins.
- Ignore someone: type /ignore *nickname*
- Send a file to someone: Very client-specific ... usually called DCC or Direct Client-to-Client. Check the help files that came with your program. You can not do this using CGI or Java chat.
Terms and Abbreviations
- afaik - as far as I know
- afk - away from keyboard
- atm - at the moment
- bb - be back
- bbl - be back later
- bbs - be back soon
- biab/bbiab - (be) back in a bit
- brb - be right back
- btw - by the way
- ffs - for fuck's sake
- fs - fucking shit
- ggs - gotta go smoke
- ggp - gotta go pee (yes, some people feel compelled to announce this)
- grrfuck - an advanced form of sekz0ring
- imo/imho/imnsho - in my (not so humble) opinion
- k - okay
- lol/lofl - laughing out (fucking) loud
- lmao/roflmao - (rolling on the floor) laughing my ass off
- nazi - term affectionately used to refer to anyone in a position of power who exercises that power (e.g., nazi admin), or someone excessively anal (e.g., spelling nazi, floss nazi)
- np - no problem
- omg/omfg - oh my (fucking) god
- oy/oi - as in "oy vey", an expression of mild distress or disgust
- peer - as in "Connection reset by peer", indicates you were disconnected from chat by one of the nodes between you and the chat server
- l33t/r33t - elite
- sekz0r - a cyber sex maneuver roughly equated to..., well, we're not sure what exactly
- snog - a Limey sekz0r
- ty - thank you
- wb - welcome back
- wc - water closet, also "loo"
- wtd - what's the deal
- wtf - what the fuck
- y - yes, or why
- ymmv - your mileage may vary
- yw - you're welcome
Also ...
- bp - buddha's penis
- G - MstrG
- JC - JoeyCat
- SP - Social Parasite
- TEFL - TimeEnoughForLove
- THT - The Hypertribe
- TLF - The Lost Forum
- SPF - Stileproject Forum
- 4b - euphorbia, a.k.a. HELL